Alabama Folk School: Gee's bend Workshop

WOW.  That's what I can say about my week in Alabama. WOW.  I went down to sew with two of the Gee's Bend quilters,  with a bunch of my pals, (above: (LtoR) me, Mary Ann Pettway(pink), Mary , China Pettway(plaid) Tina, Kim, Nifty and Bonnie).  Kim and I flew from NYC to Nashville, and drove down to the Alabama Folk School to meet up with the east coast gals. We sewed our little hearts out!  I went down there, wide open to the experience, having a feeling , that for me, it would be as close to "Spiritual Awakening" as I can get... I guarantee you, it was all that and more.

We arrived and set up our machines, and basically just dove right in to "MAKING" anything...whatever came up. "Pick and start sewing, there's no rules."  said Mary Ann...  That was l we needed to get us going. No need to tell us twice! ;-)

Nifty took on a beautiful project working with her own baby clothes, Elouisa did hand piecing with whatever moved her.

Barbara was open to "Breaking out of the box" and welcomed free piecing as a natural. Here she getting some lovely advice from China.

Cathy was delightful and created some beautiful blocks from her Hand dyed fabrics. Beautiful saturated colors, that made us all week in the knees.

Mary used "Boxers" cut up, and looked for inspiration through some Vintage Bark cloth that she had. She mad ea beautiful quilt top that already has a well loved look.

With just my scissors,  I got down on my hands and knees and went to work... Here a cut, there a cut, everywhere a cut cut...  ( finished pics will come in tomorrow's posts)

Tina worked with fabrics that reminded her of her mother... Navy and white. There was creative passion everywhere.

Cherrye, (standing) made a promise with her mother that they would learn sewing.  But then her mother passed away, and recently decided that she would go on an learn to sew. She arrived with a sewing machine still in the box and had not taken it out yet to learn how to use it... Not only did she learn to sew a top together, she learned to hand quilt it too.. Here she is enjoying watching Marry Ann and China teach her how to hand quilt, on her top.   Magic, I tell ya... Pure magical moments...

There is a beautiful church at the camp, Kim and I popped in to see... The SMELL of the wood was amazing, and then we saw the alter... A Gee's bend quilt...

Every one of these women at the workshop were Amazing Women, with amazing stories to tell. We laughed, we cried and we shared ourselves, and it was truly the Spiritual Adventure I was hoping for. ( Have your emotions, that's what they are for. (or so I am told, Wink to Bonnie) 

There is POWER in women, I tell you...Healing Power, Passion Power, Creative Power.

If you haven't found that power... Put that at the top of your bucket list...It's a journey worth experiencing.

If you find yourself at a fork in the road... Which way will you choose?  hehe...

to be continued...